Ranunculus &#39;Abtanatos&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Ranunculus cultivar named ‘ABTANATOS’ is disclosed, characterized by light pink flowers having a light purple petal margin, and a large corolla. Plants produce a high quantity of quality, large size flowers throughout the harvest season. The new variety is a Ranunculus, normally produced as a cut flower and potentially useful as an ornamental plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Ranunculus asiaticus.

Variety denomination: ‘ABTANATOS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Ranunculus cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Alberto Biancheri at a research nursery in Camporosso Mare, Italy. The cross resulting in this new variety was made during 2010.

The seed parent is the unpatented, proprietary variety referred to as Ranunculus ‘110-07/1x’. The pollen parent is the unpatented, proprietary variety referred to as Ranunculus ‘36-09. T1’. The new variety was discovered in 2014 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2010 crossing, in a research greenhouse in Camporosso Mare, Italy.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first performed by vegetative division of buds sprouting from the rhizome of the selected plant. Subsequent propagation has been performed by tissue culture. First propagation took place at a research greenhouse in Camporosso Mare, Italy in 2014 and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in multiple successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ABTANATOS’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ABTANATOS’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘ABTANATOS’ as a new and distinct Ranunculus cultivar:

1. Soft pink flower color with a light purple petal margin. 2. Consistently large corolla production throughout harvest season. 3. High productivity of consistently quality flowers.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABTANATOS’ are similar to plants of the seed parent, in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘ABTANATOS’ differ in the following;

1. Lower vegetative carriage. 2. Flower color of the new variety is different than that of the seed parent.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABTANATOS’ are similar to plants of the pollen parent, in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘ABTANATOS’ differ in the following;

1. Flower color of the new variety is different than that of the pollen parent. 2. Flower size of the new variety is larger than that of the pollen parent.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABTANATOS’ are comparable to the commercial variety Ranunculus ‘ABPERKONS’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,272. The two Ranunculus varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety ‘ABTANATOS’ differs in the following:

1. Vegetative carriage of the new variety is lower. 2. Flower color of the new variety is lighter pink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates a close up of plant parts. FIG. 2 illustrates flower buds and mature flowers. FIG. 3 illustrates in full color flowering plants of the new variety at approximately five months old, grown in a greenhouse in a 12 cm pot. The photographs were taken using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 6^(th) edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe 5-month-old ‘ABTANATOS’ plants grown in a greenhouse in Camporosso Mare, Italy. The plant described has been cultivated in the month of March. In order to protect the crop against pests, some chemical treatments are performed. Treatments with growth regulators can be performed to limit the plant sizes. In particular, no growth regulators have been applied on the plant described. The rhizome has been planted on raised benches in a peat and pumice substrate mixture. The growing temperature ranged from 12° C. to 24° C. during the day and from 0° C. to 6° C. during the night. General light conditions are bright, normal sunlight. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Ranunculus asiaticus ‘ABTANATOS’.

PROPAGATION

-   Time to rooting: 15 days at approximately 10-12° C. -   Time to produce a rooted plantlet: 20 days. -   Root description: Tuberous root.

PLANT

-   Growth habit: Herbaceous perennial, robust plant, semi-prostrate     vegetation. -   Height to top flower: Average range 55 to 65 cm. -   Leaf height: Average range 38 to 45 cm. -   Plant spread: Average range 50 to 60 cm. -   Growth rate: Medium. -   Branching characteristics: Main floral stems grow from a basal     rosette with one lateral branch, which has one flower. -   Length of lateral branches: Average 35 to 45 cm. -   Diameter of lateral branches: Average 0.4 to 0.7 cm. -   Texture of lateral branches: Slightly tomentose. -   Internode length: Internodes are extremely close together, forming a     basal rosette. -   Strength of lateral branches: Medium. -   Color of lateral branches: RHS Yellow Green 144A. -   Aspect/angle of branches: 20° to 25°. -   Number of leaves per lateral branch: Usually 2.

FOLIAGE

The plant has a marked heterophylly that means that in the same plant the leaves may have different size and arrangement (simple, ternate and biternate), in relation to the degree of development (young leaf and mature leaf) and their position on the plant (basal leaf—leaf at the base of the plant—and cauline leaf—leaf inserted at the nodes of the floral stems). In other words, there are significant variation in leaf shape on a same plant.

-   Leaf at the base of the plant:     -   -   Arrangement.—Young Leaf: Simple. Mature Leaf: Ternate.         -   Average length.—20 to 30 cm.         -   Average width.—8 to 12 cm.         -   Overall shape of blade.—Young Leaf: Obovate. Mature Leaf:             Palmatipartite.         -   Dissected leaves, describe lobes, quantity of             dissection.—Young leaves are generally slightly lobed;             mature leaves are generally divided in lobes.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Attachment.—Base of the plant.         -   Margin.—Dentate.         -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.         -   Appearance of top surface.—Glossy.         -   Appearance bottom surface.—Matte.         -   Leaf internode length.—The internodes are extremely close             together, forming a basal rosette.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: RHS Green 137C. Young             foliage under side: RHS Green 138B. Mature foliage upper             side: RHS Green 137C. Mature foliage under side: RHS Green             138B.         -   Venation.—Type: Dichotomous; plunging into the limb at the             upper surface; raised on the limb at the lower surface.             Venation color upper side: RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Venation             color under side: RHS Yellow-Green 144A.         -   Petiole.—Appearance: Long, tubular, rigid. Length: Average             range 12 to 22 cm. Diameter: Average range 0.2 to 0.6 cm.             Pubescence: Slightly tomentose. Color: RHS Yellow-Green             144A. -   Leaf inserted at the nodes of the floral stems:     -   -   Arrangement.—Ternate.         -   Average length.—8 to 12 cm.         -   Average width.—5 to 8 cm.         -   Overall shape of blade.—Palmatipartite.         -   Dissected leaves, describe lobes, quantity of             dissection.—Generally simple or divided in 2 or 3 lobes,             each one of which is further divided in some lobes.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Attachment.—Floral stems.         -   Margin.—Dentate.         -   Texture of top surface.—Slightly tomentose.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Slightly tomentose.         -   Appearance of top surface.—Glossy.         -   Appearance bottom surface.—Glossy.         -   Leaf internode length.—Average range 5 to 7 cm.         -   Color.—Foliage upper side: RHS Green 137C. Foliage under             side: RHS Green 138A.         -   Venation.—Type: Palmate, plunging into the limb at the upper             surface and raised on the limb at the lower surface.             Venation color upper side: RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Venation             color under side: RHS Yellow-Green 144A.         -   Petiole.—Appearance: Long, slightly flat, rigid. Length:             Average range 3 to 5 cm. Diameter: 0.1 to 0.2 cm.             Pubescence: Slightly tomentose. Color: RHS Yellow-Green             144A.

FLOWER

-   Quantity per plant: 8 to 10. -   Bloom period: Winter to Spring. -   Vase life (cut flower): 20 to 25 days. -   Persistent or self-cleaning: Self-Cleaning. -   Bud:     -   -   Closed bud.—Shape: Flattened globular with a sharp point.             Length: Average range 1.0 to 2.0 cm. Diameter: Average range             1.1 to 2.2 cm. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 144A, Greyed-Purple             N77A along the venations.         -   Slightly open bud.—Shape: Flattened globular with a sharp             point. Length: Average range 1.2 to 2.5 cm. Diameter:             Average range 2.0 to 3.0 cm. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 145C. -   Flower:     -   -   Diameter.—Average 8 to 10 cm.         -   Height.—Average 3 to 4 cm. -   Corolla: Round, regular, in the form of a flat section. -   Petals:     -   -   Arrangement.—Imbricated, disposed on the receptacle in very             tight verticils. The size of the petals is quite variable,             according to the position in the corolla, decreasing from             the exterior toward the center.         -   Lobe length.—Average 3 to 5 cm.         -   Lobe width.—Average 2.5 to 4.5 cm.         -   Quantity.—Double flower, petals are very numerous (>100).         -   Texture.—Silky, thin.         -   Lobe apex.—Rounded.         -   Lobe shape.—Obovate.         -   Margin.—Entire, finely crenate.         -   Aspect.—Obovate, concave with moderately reflexed apex when             flower is fully opened.         -   Color when opening.—Upper surface: RHS Yellow-Green 145C at             the base, Purple 73B at the margin. Lower surface: RHS             Yellow-Green 145C at the base, Purple 73B at the margin.         -   Color fully opened.—Upper surface: RHS Pink 49D, with Purple             73B at the margin. Lower surface: RHS Pink 49D, with Purple             73B at the margin. -   Calyx/sepals:     -   -   Quantity per flower.—5 or 6.         -   Shape.—Concave.         -   Length.—Average range 2.5 to 4 cm.         -   Width.—Average range 1.0 to 2.0 cm.         -   Apex.—Acute, claw-like.         -   Base.—Flat.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture.—Lower surface: Glabrous. Upper surface: Tomentose.         -   Color.—Upper Surface: RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Lower Surface:             RHS Yellow-Green 144A. -   Peduncle: None. -   Pedicel:     -   -   Length.—Average range 55 to 60 cm.         -   Diameter.—Average range 1.0 to 1.5 cm.         -   Color.—RHS Yellow-Green 144A.         -   Orientation.—Upright.         -   Pubescence.—Slightly tomentose. -   Fragrance: None.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Androecium:     -   -   Stamens.—Absent. -   Gynoecium: The pistils are numerous, short, locked together at the     center of the corolla, dome-shaped apocarpous gynoecium.     -   -   Pistil color.—RHS Red-Purple N79D.         -   Nectar glands.—Absent.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Disease resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to normal     diseases and pests of Ranunculus observed. -   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance: No differences have been noted     in comparison to the common tolerance characteristics to other     Ranunculus cultivars. -   Fruit/seed production: Not observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ranunculus named ‘ABTANATOS’ as herein illustrated and described. 